Page 60 - HaMizrachi #33 Sukkot 2021 USA

STORY FOR THE TABLE

An Etrog for

Berditchev

Rabbi Hanoch Teller

hen it came in his shul: “I ask each one of you to
to securing take to the streets tomorrow, stop
a beautiful any Jewish wagon driver you see and
etrog for inquire whether he has an etrog. We
Sukkot, no must spare no effort to fulfill Almighty’s
Wone was commandments!”
more particular than the famous and
saintly Reb Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev. This was followed by a unique prayer
Months before the holiday season, he he had composed himself: “Ribbono
would begin his search for an etrog that Shel Olam, Master of the Universe, let
was truly mehudar. us make a deal. I will give you my sins,
transgressions, and errors, and You will
By and large, etrogim are grown in Eretz give me children, life, and sustenance.
Yisrael and shipped all over the world.
One year, however, the ship carrying “The Greeks contend that their god is
the precious cargo from the Holy Land the Lord, but I disagree.
to Berditchev never arrived. Distraught, “The Romans contend that their god is
Reb Levi Yitzchak – also known as the the Lord, but I disagree.
Berditchever Rebbe – sent messengers
to all the outlying areas, hoping that “The Indians contend that their god is
they would discover an etrog some- the Lord, but I disagree.
where in their travels. But the mes- “And the Russians contend that there
sengers returned empty-handed. is no G-d, but I, Levi Yitzchak ben Sarah
Their efforts had borne no fruit. Sushah, say, ‘Glorified and sanctified be
One week before Rosh Hashanah G-d’s great name…’”
– only three weeks until Sukkot The next day, as per the Rebbe’s instruc-
– there was still no hope in sight. tions, one of his chassidim at the north-
So the Rebbe sent out a new group of ern entrance to Berditchev accosted
messengers, instructing them to bring Berel the spice merchant who was
back an etrog – any etrog – at any price! returning home from the summer fair.
But their mission, too, was a failure. Lo and behold, Berel had an etrog, a very

On Yom Kippur, the Rebbe implored beautiful one... but he had no interest
the Almighty to allow him to fulfill in parting with it. Anxious to return to
this mitzvah as he always had. “Master his family, he didn’t appreciate being
of the Universe, we wish to obey Your buttonholed and questioned by a per-
command,” he cried, “but there isn’t a sistent chassid.
single etrog in all of Berditchev or the “I’ve been away from my family for the
surrounding countryside!”
entire summer,” the merchant argued.
Just before the Neila service, Reb Levi “I’ve earned plenty of money, baruch
Yitzchak issued a moving plea to the Hashem, so none of your offers can
hundreds of worshippers gathered tempt me. This little etrog will be the

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